Fulmine
by ArisuAmiChan
Summary: As old as she was, Claudia still knew she was afraid of lightning and thunder. Unable to sleep, she fights against her biggest fear to seek comfort from her family during the late hours of the night.


**Title:** Fulmine

**Characters:** Petruccio Auditore da Firenze, Claudia Auditore da Firenze, Federico Auditore da Firenze, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, mention of Giovanni and Maria Auditore da Firenze

**Time Frame:** Year in story is 1466, Claudia is five at this point in time because Petruccio was born two years after her (she in 1461, he in 1463), and by the time he'd be a year old, she would have been three.

As it currently stands, I'm _probably_ wrong about their ages, but in the year of 1466, before or after Petruccio's third birthday (since there's no date, just a year on the Assassin's wikia), his siblings should be the following ages: Federico is ten, Ezio six, and Claudia five.

If I'm wrong, please send me a PM with correct ages?

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**_15 May 1466, Spring_**

Claudia hid her head under her pillow, brown tresses ruffled from constant tossing and turning.

_Maria would have a fit in the morning with her daughter's hair, trying to brush and bind it back so it sat smooth against her head._

Poking her head out from under the pillow, she let out a soft yelp and hid again, thunder rumbling loudly in the sky, lightning flashing across her vision and illuminating up the room she shared with little Petruccio.

_She _hated _thunderstorms with a passion, was afraid of them to death._

She whined, a soft sound that was similar to a young pup and crawled out of bed, shuffling past her brother's bed as he himself slept soundly.

_In a way, he was lucky. To be so young and not have any fears that required comfort._

Claudia opened the heavy wooden door on her own, grunting softly with the effort, grinning before jumping as the growling rumble of thunder met her ears again, sending her scurrying to her parents room.

_Giovanni had taken her aside after she turned five and said she was old enough now to sleep in her own bed when something frightening came by._

So instead of awaken mother and father, she muffled a yelp behind her hands as the thunder _boomed_, and went stumbling to her older brother's room.

_Opening the door there, she tip-toed in and went to the ten year old (and in her eyes, always brave) Federico._

"Fedewico!" The tiny girl hissed, shaking his shoulder.

_All she got for her troubles was a loud snore and her own fear spiking with each burst of thunder and lightening. _

"Fedewico, you lazy, chunky _puttana! _Wake! _Up!_" She smacked her hands against his belly, arm, leg, anything she could reach to wake him.

_Claudia knew not what the word she used meant, but only heard her father call their stable hand one earlier that day, before the rains came. But Federico, on the other hand, only rolled over in his sleep, a loud snore leaving him once again._

She whined and whimpered softly, going to her second oldest brother's bed now.

"Ezio, Ezio, pwease wake! 'm scared, pwease!" Claudia shook his shoulder, poked his cheek and buried her face in his chest when he let out a groan and finally sat up.

"Claudia…?" He mumbled, voice thick with sleep and eyes barely open. _Ezio did jump with his sister though, as lightning startled them both._

"Poppa said I was old enough to sleep on my own when the storms came, but I'm scared, Ezio! I don't want to, can't sleep alone!"

He smiled gently at her and scooted over in bed, patting the warm, empty space beside him. _Ezio would let his sister spend the night with him, knowing their mother would understand why he did so._ "Come in, _piccola._ I'll protect you!"

Claudia beamed and clambered into his bed, kissing Ezio's cheek before making sure the blankets were tugged over them.

_Soon enough, she was out like a light, Ezio watching her rest._

He knew she was still afraid of such weather, and knew that she would need comfort when she was afraid.

_He'd provide such until she didn't need it anymore, as all older brothers could._

The young man settled down beside Claudia, and she snuggled against him, face hidden from view and head tucked under his chin.

He chuckled softly as her hair tickled his neck and kissed the ruffled mess, a soft sigh coming from the smaller body beside his. "Sleep well, _piccola._ I'll keep you safe tonight, I promise."

_Ezio fell asleep soon enough himself, listening as the rain beat a soft tune against the glass of the Palazzo Auditore._

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**A/N: **Title is Italian for 'Lightning,' and I kinda wanted to write cute Auditore children being protective and comforting. I hope you guys enjoyed this story!

This was actually in my drafts as another Ibn La'ahad family story with Darim and Sef hyped off of ice cream, but that turned out to be ugh...

And also, I'm perturbed fanfiction{dot}net doesn't have Shao Jun, the very awesome female Chinese Assassin from the Embers short film on the character list. I wasn't into Assassin's until last year, but I'm just coming up with a bullcrap theory about it, but I think she was on it before {at the time of the film's release} but someone complained to the staff here about it and she was quickly removed.

I request she be added again if she was already there before and removed.

Either that, or pretty much _demand _Shao Jun be added added to the list if she hasn't been on it before.

_Because that list has Flavia Auditore, Ezio adorable little baby girl._ AND SHE WAS IN THE EMBERS SHORT FILM AS WELL!


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